… at Thrupp, on a borrowed mooring!

This morning didn’t look promising, nor was the forecast and they were right, the rain which we had woken up to persisted throughout the day, but at eleven we could put it off no longer and set off through Abingdon lock and headed for Sandford which we hoped would have opened on schedule. This stretch of the Thames is still beautiful but a bit ‘samey’ without the regular punctuation of so many posh waterside properties. We were soon assured that Sandford lock was open by the number of craft coming downstream and when we reached the lock we shared it with a French boat and one of Salter’s ‘Steamers’.

On we went through Iffley lock and were we were surprised if not a little disconcerted by being told that there was a regatta in progress, in fact it was almost finished and the crews much more disciplined than others we had encountered, at least with ‘eights’ they have a cox to tell them what they are heading towards!

That excitement over we progressed into Oxford city, through Osney lock and entered the Oxford Canal through Sheepwash Channel which was unsigned and looked so narrow I had to phone my friend Andy for confirmation! On through Isis lock and onto the Oxford proper, we moored up opposite College Cruisers about 3:30 pm for a late lunch. After chatting with our friends Helen & Andy, who work there, we pressed on at about 5pm and made it to Thrupp by 9pm and after a few texts to a friendly native moored up (with her permission) on Bones‘ spot for the night as she was elsewhere. Maffi (moored next door) joined us on his return from the pub to give his seal of approval on our our boat and we fell into bed just before midnight!!!